ELECTION 2005 One seat contested for Portland Water District BY SARA DONNELLY

The Portland Water District trustee race, often an uncontested run, this year has two candidates vying for one open seat, with a five-year term. City voters will choose between a 47-year-old married father of two who was once hired as an environmental consultant for the state Department of Environmental Protection and a 31-year-old single man with an interest in "long-term planning" who has already been endorsed by the Portland League of Pissed Off Voters.

The former is Alan Lyscars, a self-employed carpenter who for eight years (from 1993-2001) owned his own environmental consulting firm, Field Services, in Portland. Prior to his work as a consultant, Lyscars worked with an oil-spill cleanup service in Casco Bay.

With Field Services, Lyscars conducted studies on groundwater pollution and soil contamination. He believes his experience as a consultant will allow him to better understand technical water-quality issues at Sebago Lake, Portland’s water source.

Regarding other Portland-area water issues, Lyscars is concerned about rising sewer costs. He plans to find out exactly why and if the costs can be lowered anytime soon.

"I want to make sure if we’re faced with this type of cost, that there’s somebody down on the ship manning the tiller, to use a metaphor," Lyscars says.

Matthew Sinclair, his opponent, works as a health information analyst for insurance companies and physicians’ groups. He declined to reveal the name of the company for which he works. Sinclair has no relevant experience for the water district seat but seems familiar with the nature of the work and the responsibilities of a trustee to oversee the supply of quality water, wastewater, and related services. He was endorsed by the League of Pissed Off Voters, a political action network for people aged 17 to 30, for his "commitment to young people and their progressive values," according to the endorsement press release.

Sinclair is concerned about the aging infrastructure of Portland’s pipes and supports the board’s efforts to buy land around Sebago Lake to protect the city’s water source. In an ideal world, Sinclair would like to see powerboats banned from the lake.

Sinclair believes one of his key selling points is his relative youth.

"The water board is currently lacking diversity of age," he says. "I would be the second youngest person on the board [after Erik Gaines]. I want to live in Portland for a long time, so I’m really interested in long-term planning."

This rundown of the Portland Water District race is the first in a weekly series covering Portland elections. Next week, we’ll take a look at the school board race.